Revolving scenic music box



F. H. SEARLS Oct. 31, 1967 REVOLVING SCENIC MUSIC BOX Filed June 30, 1966 flee-aw FIG.

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F. H. SEARLS ATTOR N EY I United States Patent 3,349,661 REVOLVING SCENIC MUSIC BOX Fred H. Searls, Bryan, Ohio, assignor to The Ohio Art Company, Bryan, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Filed June 30, 1966, Ser. No. 561,789 3 Claims. (Cl. 84-94) This invention relates to a music box and is more particularly directed to a revolving scenicmusic box having improved tonal and visual elfects.

It is an object of this invention to produce an efficient, simple, effective, economic, and attractive music box with improved sound transmission qualities.

Another object of this invention is to produce a revolving music box having a luminary which appears to shine more brilliantly during a portion of each revolution.

Generally speaking, the revolving scenic music boX comprises a pedestal or standard supporting a rotatable thin wall bowl-like acoustic member which serves to transmit sound waves from a sounding board carrying a sound producing device and attached centrally in the bottom interior of the acoustic member. A motor means may be geared to the pedestal and to the sound producing device to rotate the acoustic member and generate the sound. Sound may be generated by a revolving drum or disk having protruding spikes which intermittently and selectively pluck tuned tines to produce a melody. A board for mounting scenic materials, including figurines and artifacts, may be supported atop the acoustic means. A transparent cupola or dome may protectively cover the mounting board and scene thereon and be attached to the peripheral edge of the mounting board. A luminary may be suspended from the peak of the cupola and have directional properties so that in the presence of direct light it will shine with greater brilliance during a portion of each revolution.

This structure is particularly well suited for depicting the environment of Christs birth, in which case the reflector with the luminary may be in the form of a star depicting the legendary guiding star that appeared over the place of Christs birth.

The above mentioned and other features and objects of this invention and the manner of attaining them will become more apparent and the invention itself will be understood best by reference to the following description of an embodiment of the invention taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional detail view taken along a plane adjacent the axis of rotation; and

FIG. 2 is a partial horizontal sectional view with part of the dome and platform broken away, taken in the direction of the arrows along line IIII of FIG. 1, showing the music generating source.

The rotatable scenic music box indicated generally at comprises a base 11 having an upwardly protruding flanged shaft 12 rigidly anchored, such as by a nut 13, to the base 11, which shaft 12 forms a pedestal which provides a substantial space between the base 11 and an acoustic member 14 rotatably supported on the pedestal 12. The acoustic member 14 may be in the form of a shallow bowl and have a thin Walled sound transmitting section 16 extending upwardly and outwardly from a planar central section 18 to a peripheral rim 20. A relatively thick sounding board 22 carrying a sound generator 24 may be rigidly attached to the central section 18 3,349,661 Patented Oct. 31, 1967 of the acoustic member 14 such as by means of rivets 25, together with the base portion 26 of the sound generator. The sound generator 24 may be the type commonly found in music boxes wherein tuned tines 27 are plucked by the metal fingers 28 of a rotating cylinder 30. The sound waves emitted by the sound generator 24 may be transmitted directly through the sounding board 22 and into the sound transmission section 16 in much the same manner as in a radio loud speaker.

A motor means, such as a spring motor 32 may be geared and ratcheted to the sound generator 24 and to the pedestal 12 to provide the driving power therefor. Winding of the spring motor 32 may be accomplished by rotating the base 11 relative to the acoustic member 14.

A scenic display such as a creche 34 depicting the environment of Christs birth may be supported upon a mounting board 36 set in the rim 20 of the acoustic member 14. The display may include a plurality of figurines 38 and miniature artifacts 40 such as a crib or manger.

The display may be encased by a transparent dome or cupola 42 having an arched cross section, and an annular lip 44 at its base, which lip may be set in the rim 20 of the acoustic member. The cupola 42 and the mounting board 36 may be removably held in place by the rim 20' shown in dotted lines at the left in FIG. 1, thereby allowing the substitution or alteration of the display, or they may be permanently attached to the acoustic member 14 by pressing or rolling a section of the rim 20 over the lip 44 of the cupola 42 as shown in full lines.

A luminary 46 may be suspended from the top of the cupola 42. The luminary 46 may comprise a planar star or other shaped reflector with a reflective surface or means on each side which gleams or shines more brilliantly or appears to flash as the luminary revolves, particularly when it is rotated in the presence of a direct light.

While there is described above the principles of this invention in connection with certain apparatus, it is to be clearly understood that this description is made only by way of example, and not as a limitation to the scope of this invention.

What is claimed is:

1. A revolving music box comprising:

(a) a pedestal means,

(b) a thin walled dish-shaped sound emitting member rotatably attached to said pedestal means,

(c) a relatively thick sounding board attached to a central section and in said dish-shaped sound emitting member,

(d) a sound generator mounted on said sounding board,

(e) a motor means in said dish-shaped sound emitting member geared to said sound generator and to said pedestal for driving said sound generator and rotating sound emitting member,

(f) a mounting board covering said dish-shaped sound emitting member and said generator for supporting a display, and

(g) a transparent cupola housing said display and mounted over the topside of said mounting board.

2. A revolving music box according to claim 1 wherein the sound generator comprises a rotatable member having selectively spaced protrusions which bend and release tuned tines as it rotates.

3. A revolving music box according to claim 1 wherein said motor means is a spring motor which is Wound by rotating said base relative to said sound emitting member.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,752,877 7/1956 Starkenberg 84-94 4 FOREIGN PATENTS 1899 Great Britain. 5/1960 Italy.

5 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primmy Examiner.

M. MAR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A REVOLVING MUSIC BOX COMPRISING: (A) A PEDESTAL MEANS, (B) A THIN WALLED DISH-SHAPED SOUND EMITTING MEMBER ROTATABLY ATTACHED TO SAID PEDESTAL MEANS, (C) A RELATIVELY THICK SOUNDING BOARD ATTACHED TO A CENTRAL SECTION AND IN SAID DISH-SHAPED SOUND EMITTING MEMBER, (D) A SOUND GENERATOR MOUNTED ON SAID SOUNDING BOARD, (E) A MOTOR MEANS IN SAID DISH-SHAPED SOUND EMITTING MEMBER GEARED TO SAID SOUND GENERATOR AND TO SAID PEDESTAL FOR DRIVING SAID SOUND GENERATOR AND ROTATING SOUND EMITTING MEMBER, (F) A MOUNTING BOARD COVERING SAID DISH-SHAPED SOUND EMITTING MEMBER AND SAID GENERATOR FOR SUPPORTING A DISPLAY, AND (G) A TRANSPARENT CUPOLA HOUSING SAID DISPLAY AND MOUNTED OVER THE TOPSIDE OF SAID MOUNTING BOARD. 